"Freemales" - market analysis for the apparel industry

Market Research

Market Analysis

Carla Buchanan

Women 25-44

This is a consumer group that you can not afford to ignore. Sometimes this group is called the  “singleton” group. This is the group that is in a transitional state. According to the Euromonitor International, the number of single person households has been increasing by 12%. Why? Some say unbanisation is the main cause of this increase. Some say the increased social aspects of technology are responsible for this increase. 

Confident, young, working, independent women are opting for the single lifestyle. Sometimes this group is called “freemales.” Today, women worship freemale icons like Cameron Diaz, Kylie Minogue, Cameron Diaz has been quoted by saying, “I love being alone, and being myself, and, I am really good at it, too.” And,of course, there are the ladies in Sex and the City who portray a fun and exciting freemale lifestyle.

 Freemales are unmarried women, 25-44 years of age. This is a growing market, as , for the first time since WWI, unmarried women outnumber married women. And, along those lines, a quarter of women will never have children.  However, this is not always the case, Some freemales opt to remain childless, but  others are interested in having children. Sometimes they enlist the help of another female friend for support. The female support partner may not include a romantic interest for the freemale. Freemales may adopt, or, use donated sperm.  Currently, being childless is becoming more acceptable in society. There is less stigma about not having children.

Freemales are very interesting to researchers, as this segment of the population represents a shift in the human population. Single women are commonly found in cities, and, they take up a large number of housing units because, many times, they prefer to live alone. This puts pressure on the housing market to provide living spaces for the growing population of freemales. Single person homes will continue to rise the the next decade, as being single, and freemale,  is a huge social trend. This is a great market to target, as these women usually have careers and money to spend on clothing. So, this new market, freemales, having disposable incomes, can translate into growth for apparel companies, like ours, who target them. 

Taking a closer look, 40% of 30 single women are single. These women need clothing to fit their transitional lifestyle. It has been noted that sometimes these women are taken advantage of in the workplace, being asked to work longer hours. They are also discriminated against in the marketplace when it comes to credit card applications and car insurance.

Why do women prefer to remain single? There are a variety of reasons to consider. Sometimes women remain single because they desire a lifestyle that is unencumbered. This lifestyle allows them to spend more time with their single, female friends, and they do not have to shape their lives around the needs of their husband. In other words, they can spend Monday night watching DVDs instead of Monday night football. Other freemales just  enjoy a solitary life. Some freemales have not found a husband and just have decided to remain single. Maybe they waited too late. Some freemales are single by choice, and others living alone is something that just happened to them. Some freemales are divorced. 

There is a high price to pay for being single, however, Freemales do not have a spouse to share the expenses with, so they spend more than people who live a part of a couple.  And the happiness factor has to be taken into consideration. Studies show that single people are not as happy has married ones, and, studies also suggest that it is hard to have a good quality of life when you live alone. And what about the future? It has been pointed out that, as these women age, they may regret their choice and be sad, depressed, older women who wish that they had made a different choice. But don’t tell the freemales! They might get a little cranky. On the other hand, some studies, like the one funded by Economic and Social Research Council found that when the freemales turn 60, they are happier since they lived alone, and not with a partner. Happiness is in the hands of the freemale and time will tell. 

Freemales are a hot topic of study these days. Dr. Jan Macvarish, a sociologist, University of Kent, claims that changes in society have made it more acceptable for women to remain single. She also suggests that freemales are urban, educated females that are professionals.

The outlook is this, the world  better get ready for the freemales. Although they have lower incomes than their married counterparts, they still have disposable income to spend and they spend it on themselves. Brands that meet the lifestyles of the freemales are likely to prosper in this economy. Freemales are a consumer group that you can’t afford to ignore. 

Sex and The City Freemales Market Analysis